The Thirteen Under SRX golf polo will change the way you train, and help you play better golf.

By: Chris Billingsley

Our mission statement, simply put, is to help you play better golf. Whether it’s through the articles on our blog, expert advice from our guests, or our new line of performance apparel, ThirteenUnderGolfwas created with lower scores in mind.Better Golf Starts Here.It is no secret that the number 59 is significant to golfers everywhere. It is the holy grail of scores. -13. A 59.

But this year in particular, the number 59 has an elevated significance as 2016 marks the 59th anniversary of Ben Hogan’s legendary instructional book, Five Lessons - The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. Written in 1957, Five Lessons quickly became the most widely read instruction book in history. Tiger Woods once said that the only person to ever truly, “own his swing” was Ben Hogan.

Not coincidentally, this year ThirteenUnderGolf will release it’s first polo, the SRX, a high performance shirt that will not only help you look and feel good on the course, but can help you play better too. Made of a proprietary blend of a moisture-wicking polyamide, the SRX may just be the most comfortable shirt you’ll ever wear. But it’s modern fit and classic styling is just the beginning.THE SRX AcronymnMr. Hogan was adamant that the connection of the upper body was central to making solid contact. In Five Lessons, Mr. Hogan says,

"The upper arms must be pressed tightly against the sides of the chest. In my own case, I consciously work to build up so strong an adhesion between the upper arms and the chest that a person would have to exert a really terrific amount of force to wedge them apart.”

​S – Sync the Stripes.In addition to adding to the overall aesthetic, the stripes on the SRX are strategically textured so you can actually "feel" them, reminding you to create a strong connection between your upper arms and chest on every swing. As you take your posture, all you need to do is think, “Sync the Stripes” and press your upper arms into your chest. As you rock back and forth keeping the connection, you will feel a synced upper body. Practice hitting half shots keeping the stripes connected to your upper arms, then slowly work them off as you progress to full shots.Listen to the man himself below;

R – Rotate Under One of the most common faults of many a struggling golfer, is a lack of a full turn going back. Mr. Hogan recognized this 59years ago, when he wrote;

“Most golfers think they make a full shoulder turn going back…but the truth is that few golfers really complete their shoulder turn. An excellent way to check that you are making a full turn is this: WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR BACKSWING, YOUR CHIN SHOULD BE HITTING AGAINST THE TOP OF YOUR LEFT SHOULDER.”

​Mr. Hogan would go on to say that his golf shirts had a worn spot on the top of his shoulder. With the SRX, your chin need only spy the THIRTEENUNDERGOLF logo on your shirt before beginning your downswing. When you accomplish this task, your tempo will improve. With an full, unhurried backswing, you may be pleasantly surprised to see that even your distance has improved.

TheX Factor - A pre-shot routine and Training Aid in one.Some of the most popular swing aids like the Tour Striker Inflatable Ball, the Tennis Ball Necklace made famous by PGA TOUR star Martin Kaymer or placing a towel under your arms (pic below) are designed to help golfers develop the feel of maintaining the connection between your upper arms and your chest

﻿While all of these work well, and you could certainly use any of these in your practice along side the SRX, we all know that your range game, doesn’t always translate to the real game out on the course. This is where the SRX will help you play better.It will changehow we train, because for the first time ever, you can now take the aid you train with on the range, straight out to the course - even in your most competitive rounds.

HOW THE SRX WILL HELP YOU TRANSITION FROM RANGE TO COURSEHow many times have you been hitting it beautifully on the range, only to get to the first tee and hit a shot that resembles something from a horror show? Imagine if you could take the swing you had on the range to the course?Well, now you can.Using the Sync the Stripe, Rotate Under Method, you can begin to groove your swing on the range. When its time to go out to the course, just keep doing what you’ve already done so well – Sync. Rotate. Swing.

THE X FACTOR - A PRE-SHOT ROUTINEThe key to being successful under pressure is to have a solid pre-shot routine. One of the keys to a good pre-shot routine is it’s simplicity and repeatability under pressure. Using the SRX polo as trigger points in your pre-shot routine, you are able to clear your mind and focus on what is important – making a swing free of negative self talk and doubt.

A golfers story..You reach down and pull a few blades of grass from the perfectly manicured 18th fairway. Rubbing them between your fingers, they trickle to the ground. It's the final hole of the championship, and you’ve held off a charging defending champion but are clinging to a narrow one-shot lead.

The wind has died and confident in your yardage, you stand behind the ball and pick your target. Your eyes close, your breath is shallow, but you breathe deeply, filling your lungs, then exhale, releasing any tension.

In your mind’s eye you visualize the shape of the shot. You see it. You feel it. Confidence oozes from every pore as you step into your address, and then run through your check list, settling into your posture and alignment.

Comfortable in your SRX polo, you look up at the target, then back at the ball.Inhale.Exhale.Sync the Stripes. Your biceps press against your upper chest. Your shoulders rock back and forth and you ingrain the feel of a synced upper body.

Your shoulder and arms turn away from the ball in unison. Rotate Under. Your shoulder slides gracefully under your chin, and you spot the ThirteenUnder logo in the corner of your eye.

In a smooth transition eerily reminiscent of the grace and elegance of the legendary Sam Snead, your lower body begins your powerful downswing. With your body unified, synced in perfect harmony, your club strikes the ball, sending tiny waves of electricity coursing through your body, a sensation only a perfectly struck shot can create.

Flushed.

In the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of the ball as it rockets into the sky on a towering trajectory. You hold your finish. Posing. Frozen in time. Breathing in this moment.As the ball plummets towards the earth, adrenaline courses through your veins. All the work you’ve put in has finally come to fruition.

The ball lands on the green, bounces once then stops dead, two feet from the hole. Thanks to the practice you’ve put in with your THIRTEENUNDERSRX polo, and a rock solid pre-shot routine, victoryis yours.